Cerulean Feathers

Chapter 43

Tyler sat uncomfortably in his chair from where Evan had helped him walk to, his wrapped leg stiff from where it sat under his desk.

From what he could hear from the kitchen, almost everyone had been sent off.

Only Ohm, Scotty, and Evan remained.

Tyler listened carefully as Evan sent Ohm toward his office.

The small room no longer smelled of anxious pine, but an anxious beach.

Tyler was tapping his good foot restlessly against the floor, listening to the click of crutches as it neared his door.

He had his notes in hand.

He hoped the other Alphas would use them to get useful information.

The door opened to reveal the gray-winged dove, hazel eyes nearly bright green in the light.

"Ohm! Or, if we're being professional, Ryan."

The Omega winced at his real name before asking,

"Why my real name? What are we being professionals for?"

Tyler gestured for Ohm to sit down, and the dove did so with their single pair of crutches. Brock had promised to get them another soon.

"So Ryan, how long have you been a part of the gang?"

Ohm made a face at his name again, but answered,

"I believe two years now? Just before Smitty and John."

Tyler nodded, glancing at the page from Ohm's files he had snagged from one of the cabinets.

He knew he was telling the truth at least.

"Great! And are you in a relationship with anyone?"

"Luke."

"Right, of course."

Tyler glanced at the Omega's body language, his bad ankle resting on his other knee. His fingers were laced together and he had a small, relaxed smile on his freckled face.

"So, what do you know about the incident when Jonathan was attacked?"

Ohm blinked at the question, then said,

"I don't know much, I know that the jay was attacked and we've been trying to figure out who did it for a while now."

Tyler nodded.

"And where were you when it happened?"

Ohm's foot stopped tapping and he scrunched his face in thought.

"Probably in my bed, Luke and I didn't start sleeping in the same room until I broke my foot."

Tyler hummed in acknowledgment before continuing,

"Do you know what could've triggered someone to attack Jon? Maybe you heard someone speaking poorly about him?"

Ohm took his time again before answering, running a hand along the wings that hung loose around him.

"I never heard someone else speak poorly about him, no. Must've been something bad though."

"Indeed,"

Tyler agreed, scratching some more notes into his notebook before shifting in his seat to sit up more.

"I know you were one of the ones who wanted to bring him to the gang, have you spoken much to him since?"

"I haven't much, moreso when he first joined and Evan had me help him try and fit in. It's a shame he got attacked."

"Who?"

Ohm flicked his gaze toward the longhorn in confusion,

"What?"

"Who got attacked?"

Ohm scrunched his eyebrows before saying slowly,

"The... blue-winged Omega?"

"Jonathan, right?"

Ohm nodded slowly before dropping his gaze toward his hands. He unlaced them and delicately laid them on the armrests. Tyler took careful notes before pressing further,

"Have you talked to anyone about the attack?"

Ohm paused before shrugging,

"Probably? It's been a while."

"Please, try to remember."

Again the dove fell silent before he spoke again,

"I talked to Smitty, and Luke,"

Another pause,

"And Craig."

Tyler nodded again before pressing,

"Who do you think did it?"

Ohm hesitated before saying,

"I doubt it was anybody here, otherwise we would have already found them. It was most likely an outsider, like someone who was pissed at Jonathan in his past, even if the surveillance footage said otherwise."

It was Tyler's turn to be quiet as he scribbled down more notes, then tapped his pen on the paper.

"Anything else you can tell me?"

"I doubt it."

Tyler bit the inside of his cheek before shrugging.

"Alright, then you can head back to the kitchen. Lui got breakfast burritos so go ahead and eat, too."

Ohm smiled brightly before nodding,

"Alright! Hope you find what you're looking for!"

Tyler waved him off and waited for the awkward clicking of crutches on tile to fade a bit before slouching.

He glanced down at his notes before scoffing and throwing the papers to the edge of his desk.

The notes were useless.

He could only hope that the other Alphas had gotten more helpful information, especially Brian.

He hoped the pronghorn had torn into the pigeon viciously, truth pouring from his lips like a broken spout as he confessed in great detail all the plans and where he hid the evidence.

He was already wrong about Ohm,

He didn't want to be wrong twice.

--

Eventually, the other Omegas and Betas were released for breakfast, and the other Alphas dropped their notes off with Tyler so they could eat as well.

The longhorn had long since lost his hunger.

Luke's notes just stated how close Brock was with Evan, which was obvious already. But again, the eagle was cleared of any thought that he could be the attacker.

Marcel's notes brought up Nogla's stance of trusting everyone, and Tyler almost wished he could feel the same.

According to John, Anthony was sure Smitty had something to do with it (if that's what the angry chicken scratch translated to anyway).

Evan had nothing written on his notes, and had to explain that Scotty had had a panic attack before he could answer anything.

Brian's notes he had saved for last.

He pulled the papers close and read them over.

And then he read them again.

And again.

Before angrily throwing the papers to the opposite side of the room with an angry snarl.

He knew the gang had heard him, if the sudden silence from the kitchen was anything to go by.

He sighed heavily and ran both hands through his hair before gripping his horns.

Brian's notes claimed that Craig had contact with the attacker and knew who it was, but wouldn't confess to who it was, and even gave an alibi that solved why Tyler hadn't seen him that night.

Which meant...

They were back at square one.